Deutsche Welle Chinese Department Director informs Listeners

today, I have the sad responsibility to inform you that Deutsche Welle’s Chinese program broadcasts will, after 47 years, be terminated on January 1, 2013. As far as I’m concerned, this is a difficult decision. Personally, I’m a broadcasting journalist, that’s how I started my career, and shortwave broadcasting accompanied my professional growth.

The immediate reason for the termination of the broadcasts is that Deutsche Welle needs to save money, and the Chinese editorial department is also hit by this streamlining measure. Also, the rapid development of new media, especially the internet, opens new ways to us to disseminate information.

The Chinese internet advances rapidly these days, with more users than any other country worldwide, which can be seen from the numbers of people who use our Chinese internet website. Even though the DW Chinese website is screened in China, the number of visitors to our website grew by 30 percent this year. This certainly also has to do with the skilled use of the internet, knowing how to break through the the internet blockade.

At a time of financial austerity, Deutsche Welle has made all kinds of tries to take everything it wants to do into account. [The station] had to make a choice, to make concentrated use of the reduced funding. Finally, it chose to take the road of the web as its medium.

在财政紧缩的时刻，德国之声已无法全方位照顾自己想做的一切，它必须做出抉择，集中使用缩减的经费-最后，它选择了网络传媒这条道路。

I know that among you, there are many people who have been old loyal listener friends for many years. I would like to take the opportunity to sincerely thank you for your support and care, and the many letters you have sent. But the end to shortwave broadcasts doesn’t spell the demolition of the bridge between Germany and you. In future, other forms and channels will form the link between us.

I hope that in the future, you will continue to follow our news and analysis on our website, image collections and video programs, and offer your valuable suggestions and opinions!

希望未来您能通过新的桥梁继续关注我们网页上的新闻分析报导、图片集和视频节目，并提出您宝贵的建议与意见!

Sincerest greetings,
在此向您致以最诚挚的问候!

Deutsche Welle, Chinese editorial department
Feng Haiyin*)

德国之声 中文编辑部 冯海音 敬上
2012-10-19 于 波恩

Taipei DXer received the letter on October 24. The letter or e-mail also contained information about Deutsche Welle’s last shortwave broadcasting schedule, coming into effect on Sunday (October 28, 2012):

9610 kHz (31 m); 11600 kHz (25 m); 13700 kHz (22 m).

More details about times, frequencies and broadcasting sites from October 28 to December 31 can be found here.